Ferrero Rocher cake

5 from 54 votes

This Ferrero Rocher cake is the ultimate celebration cake: three layers of moist chocolate-hazelnut sponge, filled and frosted with a Nutella mousseline cream (my signature, not-too-sweet frosting recipe!) and finished with crushed toasted hazelnuts and whole Ferrero Rocher chocolates.

Prep Time1

Cook Time30

Waiting time2 30

Total Time4

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 868kcal

Author: Katalin Nagy

Equipment

Ingredients

Chocolate Hazelnut Sponge Cakes for 3 x 8 inches (20cm)

3 Eggs room temperature
110 g Vegetable oil
240 g Milk room temperature
180 g Coffee freshly brewed strong coffee, room temperature
150 g Granulated sugar
150 g Brown sugar
190 g All purpose flour any low-protein-content flour, e.g., pastry flour, can work too.
90 g Hazelnut flour You can either purchase it ready-made, or blend whole-roasted hazelnuts with the flour for a few seconds. Do not blend the hazelnuts on their own, or they will turn into a paste.
75 g Cocoa powder unsweetened, dutch processed
1½ teaspoon Baking soda
1½ teaspoon Baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt

Mousseline cream

720 g Whole milk
150 g Granulated sugar
120 g Egg yolk approx. 6 egg yolk
2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
37 g Corn starch
37 g Cocoa powder unsweetened, dutch processed
110 g Chocolate semi-sweet good-quality chocolate, finely chopped
75 g Unsalted butter soft, room temperature
225 g Unsalted butter soft, room temperature
25 g Cocoa powder unsweetened, dutch processed
½ teaspoon Salt
250 g Nutella
90 g roasted chopped hazelnut to decorate
16 piece Ferrero Rocher chopped for in between the layers + top to decorate

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Start with chocolate pastry cream

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until slightly pale and fluffy, about 1–2 minutes. Add the cornstarch, cocoa powder, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth and lump-free.
In a saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the warm milk into the egg yolk mixture very slowly while whisking constantly. The mixture will begin to thicken as the milk goes in.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it thickens, approximately 1 minute after the first boil. If it appears lumpy at first, keep whisking; it will smooth out.
Remove from heat. Add the finely chopped chocolate in 3 stages, stirring well with a rubber spatula after each addition until fully incorporated.
Then add the softened butter again, in 3 stages, and mix well until fully incorporated.
Transfer to a shallow bowl, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface, and cool at room temperature. Then refrigerate until fully set.

Chocolate hazelnut sponges

Preheat oven to 175°C / 345°F and prepare 3 × 20 cm (8-inch) round pans with parchment paper on the base and sides.
In a large bowl, whip the wet ingredients together with an electric mixer for 1–2 minutes: room temperature eggs, oil, both sugars, milk, and coffee.
In a separate bowl, sift together all dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, hazelnut flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
Divide the batter equally between the three prepared pans using a digital scale.
Bake at 175°C / 345°F for 25–30 minutes, without opening the oven door, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate the sponges before assembly.

Nutella mousseline cream

Remove the pastry cream from the fridge well in advance and let it come to room temperature.
Place the softened butter in a mixer bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 2–3 minutes, until pale and fluffy.
Add the Dutch-processed cocoa powder and salt and whip for 1 minute. Add the Nutella and whip until fully combined.
Then, add the room-temperature pastry cream in 4 equal additions, whipping between each until fully incorporated. Once all is added, whip for about 3 minutes until the cream is light, fluffy, and holds its shape. Stop whipping as soon as the cream is fluffy and pipeable; do not over-whip, or it will break. If the cream feels soft, refrigerate for 30–60 minutes to firm up before using.

Assembling the cake

Place the first sponge on the serving plate. Pipe a border of mousseline cream around the edge, then fill the center. Scatter crushed Ferrero Rocher chocolates over the cream.
Add the second sponge layer and repeat. Place the third sponge layer on top. Chill the assembled cake in the fridge for 1 hour (or freezer for 15 minutes) before frosting.
Apply a thin crumb coat of mousseline cream over the entire cake. Chill for 30 minutes. Apply the final frosting layer smoothly with an offset spatula. Chill for another 30 minutes.
Press chopped roasted hazelnuts onto the sides and top. Using a piping bag fitted with a nozzle, pipe swirls around the top edge. Place half Ferrero Rocher candies as decoration on top.
Apply roasted chopped hazelnut all around and on the top of the cake and pipe some decoration on top using the same Nutella mousseline cream
Store the assembled cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For the best texture, take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving to allow the mousseline cream to soften slightly.

Video

Notes

Ingredient notes:

All sponge ingredients must be at room temperature to emulsify properly — especially eggs, milk, and coffee.
Do not skip the coffee in the sponge. It enhances chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee. Replace with lukewarm water if needed.
Blend hazelnut flour together with the all-purpose flour in a food processor if making from whole hazelnuts. Never blend hazelnuts alone.
Use good-quality semi-sweet chocolate and Dutch-processed cocoa powder in the cream; they should balance the Nutella, not overpower it.

Technique notes:

The mousseline cream requires all components to be at room temperature; this is the most critical technique point in the recipe.
Stop whipping the mousseline as soon as it is fluffy. Over-whipping breaks it.
Chill the sponges before assembly, and chill the cake in between every frosting stage.
Always assemble directly on the plate you will serve from.
For this 3-layer 20 cm (8-inch) cake, divide the mousseline cream as follows:
- Filling layer 1 — 300g mousseline cream + 4 crushed Ferrero Rochers
- Filling layer 2 — 300g mousseline cream + 4 crushed Ferrero Rochers
- Crumb coat — 380g mousseline cream
- Final coat incl. piping— 570g mousseline cream
- Ferrero Rocher decoration on top — 4 ( 8 halves) + 4 crushed

Nutrition